


Nail Polish is the way to a man's heart

by KlaineJane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec is a mess, First Meetings, Izzy is lovely and supportive, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mundane Alec Lightwood, Mundane Magnus Bane, alternative universe - mundanes, flirty Magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 21:19:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11067348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlaineJane/pseuds/KlaineJane
Summary: ' ‘’This one is called ‘size matters’, a very pretty berry colour, no?’’ Magnus asks, fingertips teasingly rolling over the square edges of the little bottle, never breaking eye contact. Alec flushes while Magnus raises an eyebrow playfully. 'Alec is dragged to a nail salon by Izzy and meets the man of his dreams there. If only he can survive all the innuendos.





	Nail Polish is the way to a man's heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> This is my first time writing this couple so don't come at me with pitchforks please!  
> I had this au stuck in my head for weeks and I finally managed to write it all down!  
> I got the idea while getting feedback on an assingment for my exam so u know. Priorities.

''I'm not going in there with you Izzy, no way.'' Alec was stubbornly refusing to be led (more like dragged) closer to the candy-pink storefront by Isabelle's insistent hand. He was rapidly shaking his head back and forth, his normally pale skin burning with embarrassment.

People were starting to stare at the two of them. A 26 year old man being forcefully pushed by his much shorter sister, even if she was wearing six inch heels, towards a glaringly bright nail salon was bound to attract some stares, even in New York.

''Alec, come on, I've tried dragging you in, I've tried pushing you in, don't make me bring out the big guns.'' Izzy complained, her big brown eyes staring up at her brother challengingly ''I just finished working for 12 days straight, my nails are in desperate need of pampering after being buried in dead bodies for so long.'' She furrowed her brows and met her Alec’s equally stubborn stare before she sighed sadly, ''but I guess I can just go in alone, even if I was really looking forward to spending more time with you after not seeing you for so long. But it's fine. I'll just go in there. All alone. Without my favorite big brother''  

Alec sighed, ''Izzy, we work at the same police precinct, we eat lunch together every day. You literally saw me yesterday.'' Alec’s gaze flickered from the eye-watering nail salon (seriously what kind of lunatic thought bright pink and neon green wouldn’t be an eyesore?) to meet Isabelle’s gaze before he continued, ‘’and I’ll tell Jace that you said that you know. He’ll be devastated.’’

Isabelle huffed and stomped her foot impatiently, the annoyed pull of her lips doing nothing to mask the amusement in her voice when she said ‘’oh please, don’t try to pull that with me Alec, Jace knows he’s my favorite partner in crime before you any day.’’ She stopped, her eyes narrowing in contemplation before continuing, ‘’also I’m pretty sure you could tell Jace anything and he wouldn’t care as long as Simon is in the same room,’’ she said thoughtfully. ‘’When will those two ever figure things out?’’

Alec, who had been patiently waiting for his sister to finish her thoughts on their brother’s love life, raised an eyebrow before snarkily saying, ‘’well why don’t we go and ask Jace about that instead huh? That sounds like a lot more fun than this… pampering thing.’’ His voice trailed off at the end as Izzy’s eyes had lit up at the mention of their outing and Alec’s shoulder slumped, knowing he’d lost this battle the second Izzy proposed the nail salon as the perfect location for ‘’sibling bonding’’ as she called it. 

 Izzy was smirking at him, one eyebrow raised challengingly, ‘’that’s not a no then, hermano? You’ll come with me?’’ she asked, starting to back away from Alec and towards the bright glass doors of the nail salon, ‘’Also, she added’’ starting to turn her back on Alec, ‘’I stole your phone and wallet while pushing you, and you’re not getting them back until I get a manicure, claro?’’

She laughed at Alec’s dumbfounded expression while he patted the pockets of his loose jeans, clearly not finding the things he were looking for there, ‘’Izzy I’m an officer of the law I can have you arrested for that,’’ Alec warned her jokingly, glaring at Izzy before shaking his head in exasperation at her antics.

‘’Oh please, like you would ever admit that you managed to get pick-pocketed by your own sister, now are we going in or what?’’ Izzy asked standing right in front of the big glass doors now. ‘’Fine,’’ Alec finally grunted out, crossing his arms over his chest, ‘’but I won’t be getting one of those manicures Jace is always raving about, I’ll just sit there and wait ‘till you’re finished okay?’’ Alec stared steadfastly at his sister’s cunning look until she sighed and grumbled out a ‘’fine’’, Alec, not hearing the whispered ‘’you say that now’’ from his her.

With the decision finally made Alec strode up to the doors with Izzy by his side who was smirking slyly.

Just as the doors were open enough for them to get through Alec heard a man yell ‘’dibs!’’, the voice was deep, and rich, but had a strange melodious clang to it that Alec found he didn’t mind at all. He turned his head towards the voice and was promptly stunned into silence.

The man who had spoken was tall, almost as tall as Alec himself, Asian, with his hair styled high off his forehead to emphasize his sharp cheekbones and angular jaw. Alec’s attention was promptly pulled to the man’s lips, they looked shiny, almost glossy, and had a soft and plump look to them.  His eyes were a beautiful golden hazel, that were dancing with mirth and oh wait. They were dancing with mirth because the guy had spoken, to him, and he was standing there gaping like a fish out of water, not able to pull his eyes away from his face.

Not that the rest of him was any less of a distraction. Skin tight jeans artfully ripped and with gaping holes that drew all the attention to his shapely thighs and, if Alec wasn’t mistaken (though he didn’t have a good angle), round ass.

‘’This trainwreck right here, is my older brother Alec, he really wants to get a manicure for the first time, so I thought who else would be more capable of giving my brother the very best first time than my favorite nail artist Magnus Bane?’’ Isabelle’s voice stabs through Alec’s thoughts, which was a good thing considering they were on the verge of R-rated territory.

Alec shifted his weight and stared at Izzy, his eyebrows lifting in confusion. ‘’’Wait what, Izzy I don’t-‘’ he stuttered, his cheeks turning a bright red under the soft lights of the store.

The man’s eyes glinted and with a flourish of his (very muscular, Alec noticed) arms he gestured to Alec, ‘’Oh of course, what do you say Alexander? Do you want me to nail you?’’ Magnus (his name was Magnus oh god that was the greatest name Alec had ever heard) quipped. Alec decided this would be the perfect moment to choke on his own spit and started hacking and coughing to clear his airways. ‘’What did you say?’’ he finally managed to croak out between gasps for breath while Izzy helpfully slapped his back while rolling her eyes at her brother’s incapability to function around hot guys.

‘’I said’’ Magnus replies, a slight upturn of his lips betraying his amusement at Alec almost choking to death at his place of work, ‘’do you want me to do your nails for you?’’. His voice was laced with humour and his eyes were flickering appreciatively over Alec’s slightly hunched over form in the middle of the room.

‘’Yes! I mean- I just- uhm- sure yes that would be- that would be uhm nice?’’ Alec finally managed to force out. It felt like his throat was closing up, as if it was having an allergic reaction to a hot man being in the same room as him. A hot man who was going to be touching him soon, just his hands but still Alec would gladly take whatever he could get from this man.

‘’Great!’’ Izzy exclaimed, breaking Alec and Magnus’ from their gazing and softly smiling at each other. ‘’I’ll go with Cat all the way over there to the other end of the store, and you and Magnus can stay here, and have some… privacy’’ she finished the last sentence with a quick wink towards Alec and oh great he was choking again. Super.

‘’Please, have a seat,’’ Magnus offers, gesturing to a strange-looking low white chair seated in front of an equally white desk. Station? Alec isn’t quite sure what to call it but it had a big lamp over it and a small electric something on it and Alec vows to himself to keep as far away from anything electrical as possible.

He’s not normally a klutz, working as a police officer doesn’t really allow for a lot of ‘oops I slipped and the bad guy ran away’ and ‘oh gosh my hand slipped and I shot my own foot’ moments. The second an attractive man is in his general vicinity though Alec’s known to knock over everything from his coffee mug to Simon if he’s unlucky enough to be standing too close.  

He awkwardly tries to get comfortable in the chair clearly meant for customers with a smaller build than him and ends up with his long legs folded uncomfortable on either side of the chair.

‘’Oh please feel free to stretch out, Alexander, I want you comfortable,’’ Magnus says slyly, eyes trailing appreciatively over Alec’s form. Alec, too busy trying not to hyperventilate at Magnus saying his name like that, with a little purring lilt to last syllable completely misses the next thing that leaves Magnus mouth. Again.

He abruptly straightens up and lets out an embarrassed squeak, ‘’sorry! I zoned out for a minute there, what did you say?’’ He silently cheers inside at how he didn’t stutter once during the sentence. Small victories, he supposes.

Magnus’ eyes flicker with concealed laughter and he repeats himself with a slightly wry smile on his lips. ‘’I said, I don’t mind having something between my legs while working’’.

Alec barks out a loud laugh at that, and rejoices at the stunned look on Magnus’ face that morphs into a soft smile while Alec replies ‘’oh my god I can’t believe you just said that, that’s the worst line I’ve ever heard,’’ Alec runs his hand through his dark messy hair while shaking his head fondly, his dark hair becoming even messier and Magnus rests his eyes there appreciatively. It’s a quite lovely head of hair.

‘’Who said it was a line?’’ Magnus replies instantaneously. ‘’I am completely serious about my not minding having something long and har-‘’ ‘’OKAY!’’ Alec laughs, cutting Magnus off before he can finish his sentence. ‘’I get it, you totally don’t mind… that’’ he says while stretching his legs so they rest more comfortable under Magnus’ chair. Magnus smiles at him again before sauntering off to pick out a few nail polish colors he thinks Alec might like.

Alec definitely does not watch the way Magnus’ jeans curve around his ass, the only place on them that is free from holes, fortunately. He has more self-control than that, though the smirk Magnus sends him from over his shoulder as he bends over to reach for a few colors on the lower shelves makes Alec think he might have been caught. Caught not checking him out. Yes definitely.

Suddenly he hears Izzy’s laugh from the other side of the store and snaps back to reality and away from thoughts of Magnus’… assets.

‘’Okay, so how do you feel about nudes, Alexander?’’ Magnus asks airily while flicking the bottles he deems not fitting around, making it look like they’re flying back on the shelves on their own volition. Alec’s eyes follow his movements, his hand moving gracefully, decorated with an array of rings and a few tasteful bracelets that glint from the soft lights above him.

‘’I uhm. I think the person receiving them should consent to actually wanting to see them, not just be bombarded with them. And that the receiver shouldn’t spread them around?’’ Alec answers confusedly, his eyes narrowing as he mulls over the unexpected question.

He doesn’t really see why it matters, but maybe Magnus has a strict rule about not fixing the nails of people who send people dick-pics without asking first? It doesn’t sound plausible, but at least Magnus will know Alec can be trusted with his nudes. Not that- Not that he’d be receiving them, or Magnus would ever deign to send those kinds of pictures to him and oh my god is Magnus going to be sending him nudes? How did he even get his number? Fuck is Alec supposed to send pictures back? He doesn’t know if he has the confidence to do that and how would he even take a picture like that how would he pose and how nude is _nude-_

 _‘’_ Alexander!’’ Alec realizes he’s been quietly panicking for about 20 seconds and quickly refocuses on Magnus sitting in front of him, a number of different shaped bottles with a variety of colors in them and oh. That kind of nudes. That made a lot more sense.

‘’Oh uhm well, I don’t know I’ve never really worn nail polish. Or makeup for that matter, it was never really something that interested me.’’ Alec realizes how that sounds and quickly backtracks, hands flailing and check burning, ‘’I mean I- you know, you’re like _wow_ and I just it’s not- for me it’s not-not a reality I just, you’re very beautiful.’’ Magnus has been quietly giggling throughout Alec’s little word-vomit and Alec wants to go live in a cave for the rest of his life, cut off from human contact, honestly who even let him go outside.

‘’That’s very kind of you to say Alexander’’ Magnus says softly, and Alec snaps his eyes up from where they had been trained on his knees to meet Magnus’ own soft ones staring straight at him. ‘’And for the record, I think you’re very good looking as well, with or without makeup’’ he winks, his hands resting on the table between them.

Alec smiles softly at that and they end up sitting there, gazing at each other and on some subconscious level Alec realizes how awkward this should feel, they literally just met not even 20 minutes ago, but it doesn’t feel like that. It doesn’t feel uncomfortable or oppressive it’s just. Nice. Nice and easy. That’s what being in Magnus’ company feels like. It also feels like all the air is disappearing from his lungs and that his face will never get rid of the bright red color splashed across his cheeks but well. Still nice.

‘’Now’’ Magnus says, breaking the trance they’d fallen into, a pink blush grazing his cheeks as well, ‘’you need to decide on a colour.’’ He pushes a few of the bottles towards Alec and stares at him with a hint of challenge in his eyes as he points at the different bottles.

‘’This one is called ‘size matters’, a very pretty berry colour, no?’’ he asks, fingertips teasingly rolling over the square edges of the little bottle, never breaking eye contact. Alec flushes while Magnus hitches an eyebrow up in a playful matter.

‘’Of course that’s what it’s called’’ Alec mutters, almost one hundred percent sure his face matches the exact shade in the bottle. Magnus smirks before trailing his fingers along the next bottle.

‘’Hmmm’’ Magnus hums, ‘’how about this one? It’s called Orgasm, a beautiful shimmering peachy-pink’’, his eyes are shining with mirth and he’s sporting a smirk a cat-that-got-the-cream smirk. Alec is close to breaking out into full on laughing attack, when Magnus continues.

‘’Or this one! After sex’’ he exclaims picking up a shimmery burgundy bottle, ‘’hmm maybe a bit early for that no, Alexander?’’ Magnus’ lips stretch into a little flirty smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners where he can’t contain his amusement. He waggles his eyebrows before putting the bottle down, reaching for another one.

‘’Wait’’ Alec jumps in, cutting Magnus off before he can even start to name whatever explicitly sexual name the next one has. Alec reaches towards a blue gray nail polish with a little bit of purple shimmer and reads the label on it before blushing profusely and basically shoving it into Magnus’ hand.

Magnus’ hand fumble with the bottle, surprised by Alec’s brusqueness before he looks down at the bottle’s label, his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline and his mouth opens just the tiniest bit in shock and maybe, if Alec isn’t being presumptuous, a hint of happiness?

‘’Well, Alexander. You certainly know how to charm someone with nail polish don’t you?’’ Magnus mutters, hand still clenched around the bottle Alec had given him. Alec shrugs, feeling slightly self-conscious under Magnus’ open and soft gaze.

‘’Okay! I’m done! You ready to go brother dearest?’’ Izzy’s voice breaks Alec out of his thought while simultaneously breaking the moment between him and Magnus.

Alec jumps up, banging his knees on the table and sending all the little bottles clattering across it, thankfully with the top still screwed on all of them. ‘’Fuck’’ he curses, before he and Magnus try to catch all the bottles before they roll off the table while Izzy and Cat roar with laughter in the background.

The soft moment that had been there before feels broken now, it all feels a little awkward. Stupid. Magnus is probably flirted with all the time, he probably flirts _back_ all the time as well, he’s at work, he’s just being polite and trying to make Alec more comfortable and then Alec had to go and make it awkward.

Magnus is focusing on righting all the bottles and Alec is steadfastly avoiding eye-contact, he can’t bear to see the look in Magnus’ eyes, sure that it’s full of sympathy for the stupid customer who thought his flirting was genuine. The little bubble they had been in has been shattered and it feels too fragile to start putting back together now with people around.

After gathering all the bottles Isabelle walks back over to Alec and tucks her arm under his, grabbing his arm while grinning winningly at Magnus. ‘’Thank you so much for taking care of my brother Magnus, I know he can be a little… grumpy when he’s forced into things’’ she says sweetly. Alec glares at her while his ears turn rosy, and his head snaps up to meet Magnus’ eyes when he hears the man’s voice again.

He’s standing with his head cocked to one side, staring straight at Alec even though he’s talking to Izzy. ‘’Oh no need to thank me dear Isabelle, it was my pleasure’’ he smiles, Alec smiles back timidly, feeling like maybe they can turn this one singular meeting into something more.

He’s about to reach for his phone in Isabelle’s purse to ask Magnus for his number when the man interrupts him. He thrusts his hand towards Alec’s and Alec can’t do anything but clumsily wrap his fingers around the bag in Magnus’ hand. Their fingers brush and Alec feeling an electric charge run up his arm.

‘’Well here’s the bottle, Alexander, free of charge,’’ Magnus winks, and Alec smiles dumbly back, immune to Magnus’ happy smile and glowing eyes.

Isabelle steers them out of the shop, Alec incapable of even walking straight since he keeps stealing furtive looks at Magnus from over his shoulder, Magnus waves at him before the doors close and Alec feels like he’ll never stop smiling.

‘’Why do you look so happy?’’ Isabelle muses, ‘’does it have anything to do with the superhot guy I just introduced you to?’’ Her eyes are sparkling with mischief and she stares triumphantly at Alec with her hands on her hips.

‘’When are you meeting him again? Oh and why did he give you a bottle of nail polish?’’ Did you actually like it? Oh just wait till I tell Jace that you’ll be joining us for our bi-weekly manicures!’’ Izzy rambles on happily, arms swinging by her side as they stroll towards Alec’s apartment.

Alec laughs, digging through the small bag Magnus had given him inside the store and pulls out a piece of paper with what is presumably Magnus’ number signed with a lot of xx’s that he hastily stows back in the bag for safekeeping, before reaching for the bottle.

‘’Let me see, let me see, let me see!’’ Izzy chants, Almost climbing Alec in her rush to look at the bottle.

‘’Okay okay calm down, he kept suggesting these outrageously sexual nail polish shade names for me, jokingly’’ he adds quickly when Izzy’s gaze turns shrewd and a little scary to be honest, ‘’and then I saw this one and gave it to him,’’

Isabelle frowns before Alec points down to where the shade name is located and Izzy squeals, wrapping her arms around Alec in a sideways hug that can’t be comfortable for her arms.

‘’Oh my gosh Alec that’s so cute, I can’t believe you, my emotionally repressed older brother did that!’’ She gushes, while Alec wraps his arms around her in a silent thank-you for dragging him to that shop before Izzy steps away, her face flushed with happiness and eyes wide.

Alec blushes, stroking softly over the name of the shade: ‘Got a date to-knight’ while grinning, ‘’me neither.’’

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr here http://iamtheoppositeofamnesiaa.tumblr.com if u wanna


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